Corporal Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives, A Soldier's Story
Corporal Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives, A Soldier's Story
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was a multifaceted individual whose talents transcended boundaries, serving as a soldier, actor, and folk singer whose warm voice became a cornerstone of American music and storytelling. Born on June 14, 1909, in Hunt City Township, Illinois, Ives grew up surrounded by folk traditions and the rhythms of rural life. His natural gift for song and storytelling would one day make him one of America’s most beloved entertainers.
During the Great Depression, Ives wandered across the country with little more than his guitar, collecting songs and stories from the people he met along the way. Those travels became the foundation for his most enduring work, an ongoing journey he would later refer to as The Wayfaring Stranger.
By the late 1930s, Burl Ives had become a familiar voice on American radio. His program, “The Wayfaring Stranger,” first aired in 1940 and quickly won a loyal audience. Each broadcast blended old folk ballads with quiet reflections on everyday life, offering listeners a sense of comfort and connection during uncertain times. It was here that he first sang “The Big Rock Candy Mountain,” a song that would forever be linked to his name —a wistful anthem of hope from a world worn thin by hardship.
In 1942, as the United States entered World War II, Ives was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served as a corporal with the Army’s entertainment units, first at Camp Dix and then at Camp Upton, performing for troops and participating in morale-building productions. His work soon brought him to Hollywood with the Army Air Forces’ adaptation of Irving Berlin’s wartime musical This Is the Army, where he helped bring humor, song, and a touch of home to soldiers stationed around the world. He was honorably discharged on September 9, 1943, due to medical reasons.
After leaving the Army, Ives returned to the stage, this time as part of a musical and cultural revolution. He joined forces with Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and other prominent voices in the folk revival as a member of the Almanac Singers, a collective dedicated to using music to advocate for peace, unity, and the working class. Their performances blended activism with harmony, giving voice to a generation weary from war but hopeful for a fairer world.
Through the Almanacs, Ives carried forward the same spirit of service that had guided him in uniform, only now, his mission was cultural rather than military. His songs became a reminder that patriotism could be expressed through compassion, solidarity, and the defense of shared human dignity.
As the postwar years unfolded, Burl Ives’ career flourished. His radio program, "The Wayfaring Stranger," was revived for new audiences, and his success on Broadway and in film solidified his place as a national icon. His roles in East of Eden (1955), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and The Big Country (1958), for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, showcased his remarkable depth as both an actor and a musician.
For millions, however, Ives’ most enduring legacy came through the magic of animation. As Sam the Snowman in the 1964 Rankin-Bass classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, he lent his familiar warmth and humor to a new generation, singing “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Silver and Gold”, songs that have since become part of America’s holiday tradition.
From the Depression’s open roads to the Army’s makeshift stages, from folk clubs to Hollywood sets, Burl Ives lived a life dedicated to lifting spirits and telling stories. His journey, like that of his fellow Almanac Singer, Woody Guthrie, reminds us that patriotism takes many forms: sometimes as courage in service, and sometimes as a song that calls a nation back to its heart.
Corporal Ives died on April 14, 1995. He rests at the Mound Cemetery in Hunt City, Illinois
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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.
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